Immortal Destinies: An Unexpected Revelation
by Lady Maggie
Summary: Tai has made his choice. Will he survive to see the results of his decision?
1. Default Chapter

Authors note: This fic takes place in the first season and spans a period of time about fifteen years. None of the new digidestined (Davis, Yolei, Cody, Michael, Wallace) or any other I'm not aware of are in this, just the eight original digidestined.   
  
Dedication: I'm dedicating this to moonchild, thanks for letting me put your fanart and fanfiction on my site!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own digimon that'll happen after world domination.  
  
~ Immortal Destinies ~  
  
Prologue  
  
"Argh! This is so unfair!" Tai shouted to no one in particular, "We should have beat him! We had him, we were so close!"  
  
"Don't worry Tai, we'll get him next time," Sora assured half-heartedly.  
  
"What makes you so sure Sora? It's been months and we still haven't beaten Devimon! Every time we get close enough to fight him he sends his digimon lackeys after us! We're never going to beat him, and do you know why? It's because we never had a chance in the first place! We're nothing more then children fighting a war we don't belong in!"  
  
The group of children took in their leader's words with a pained sigh. If Tai was admitting defeat then all hope was lost. They each hung their head in silence, no longer able to look one another in the eye.  
  
"You know what Tai?" Matt spoke up after a few seconds of unbearable silence. "You really are a jerk!"  
  
Tai's head snapped towards Matt in shock and anger. Matt was staring at him, his usually warm sea blue eyes as hard and cold as ice. Tai met Matt's stare unwavering, only his gaze was one of defeat, perhaps even shame, but still he didn't turn away.  
  
"How is that Matt? It's not like what I said wasn't true. We don't belong here, we never did!" Tai almost screamed, clenching his fists, readying himself for the inevitable fight that was to come.  
  
"It doesn't matter!" Matt screamed back, stepping closer to Tai. "You have no right taking their hope away from them! We might not belong here, and we might not win, but there's no one else we can count on but each other, and thanks to you we don't even have that now!"  
  
Tai, again was taken back by Matt's words, but his own pride wouldn't let him back down, "Screw you Matt! You think you know what's best for the team? Then you be leader, you get to make the mistakes and you get to deal with the consequences!"  
  
Tai threw his fist at the blond haired boy, but Matt ducked throwing a punch of his own hitting Tai in the stomach. Tai doubled over trying to suck in the air that was forced from his lungs. The others looked on unable to decide if they should intervene or not. Maybe Tai needed some sense knocked into him?  
  
"You want to try that again Tai?" Matt smirked, "You better get yourself together before you break up the whole team Tai."  
  
"You're right Matt," Tai gasped straightening himself up, "I don't know what I was thinking, we need to stick together."  
  
The others exhaled with relief, thinking that there just may be enough hope to beat Devimon.  
  
"It's all right Tai," Matt's smirk faded into a smile, "The pressure was bound to get to you sometime."  
  
"Yeah… we should set up camp for the night," Tai muttered.  
  
Silently the others began to set up camp. They had been in the digitalworld for so long that they now had a routine for setting up camp and could do it under an hour. Mimi would fetch water, Sora and Tai would collect food, TK and Matt would find firewood, and Joe and Izzy would start a fire, while their digimon would clear a spot for them to stay the night.  
  
This time though they took a little longer in their tasks, slowing down to think over the past few days and the future. They were no close to beating Devimon now then they were when they first arrived in the digitalworld and they all wanted to return home to their families and their lives.  
  
They ate a dinner of fruit and fish in an uncomfortable silence before turning in for the night. Tai volunteered to take the first watch knowing that he wouldn't fall asleep for hours due to the confusing thoughts running through his head. He watched the others and their digimon tossing and turning on the ground knowing that the exact same thing was happening to them.  
  
"Tai?" a small almost quivering voice asked from behind.  
  
Tai sighed with contentment when he recognized the voice, "What's wrong Sora?"  
  
"D-did you really mean what you said before?" she questioned nervously, sitting down beside him in front of the roaring fire.  
  
Tai bit his bottom lip in thought, "No… I didn't mean it at all."  
  
Sora smiled, watching the flames dance across her line of vision. "I keep thinking about what you said Tai, and I realize that you were right. We don't belong here."  
  
Tai looked at Sora to see tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry Sora, I never meant to make you cry."  
  
"It's not you Tai," Sora promised, "I just… I want to go home so badly. I want to see my mom and my friends. I want to have a normal life, I don't want to have to look over my shoulder every five seconds and wonder which one of my friends is going to die first."  
  
By this time tears were streaking down Sora's face and Tai brought his fingers up to gently wipe them away. She accepted his gesture and laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her supportively. "If I had the power to make everything like it was Sora, I would. For you and for the others. I know it's not my fault but I'm going to fix it any ways. I'm going to get us through this alive, and I'm going to get us home."  
  
"I know you will Tai," Sora whispered, her cries declining, "Thank you."  
  
***  
  
"Do you need any help Mimi?" Matt asked the small slender girl beside him.  
  
"Umm…" Mimi thought pulling on the rod that she was using to fish with. Surprisingly she had caught a fish, a really big fish that was giving her a lot of trouble. It was incredibly strong since it almost pulled her into the pond with it until Matt grabbed her by the waist and pulled her upright. "Yeah I think I do," Mimi admitted bashfully.  
  
As Matt placed his head on her shoulder he realized just how perfectly he could hold her in his arms. Still holding her waist, Matt grabbed onto the fishing rod she held, "On the count of three we pull, kay?"  
  
  
"Kay," Mimi nodded determined not to make a fool of herself. She was glad that Matt couldn't see her face, otherwise he'd see the huge grin plastered there.   
  
What was happening was everything she dreamed of, minus the fish, and almost being pulled into the lake, and her clothes, and the whole outdoors scene. In fact the only thing that was really in any of her fantasies was her and Matt, which was just fine for her.  
  
"One, two," Matt counted readying himself to pull back, "Three!"  
  
They pulled as hard as they could, falling back onto the ground together. The four-foot fish that they pulled out of the water lay convulsing on the ground beside them. Mimi sat between Matt's outstretched legs, her back to his chest and her hands tightly grasping the fishing rod.  
  
Matt still had his arm protectively around her waist and his other on the rod in her hands.  
  
"We did it!" Mimi squealed with delight, "Look at how big it is Matt!"  
  
Mimi turned her head to look at Matt and was caught even more off guard by the way he was looking at her with his shocking cerulean eyes. Seeing his handsome face made Mimi forget all about the fish and she let herself get lost in the sea of blues and greens that flashed across his eyes.  
  
Matt's breath grew shallow as Mimi looked at him with her sparkling cinnamon brown eyes, his heartbeat sped up, and his body wouldn't respond to his mind. The only thing it seemed that he could do was gaze into her eyes, watching her unknowingly open her soul to him. Swallowing hard Matt leaned in placing a quick gentle kiss on Mimi's lips for the first time.  
  
"W-we should get back to camp," Matt said shakily after pulling away.  
  
"Wait!" Mimi almost shouted when he moved to get up.  
  
Taking his face in her hands, she pulled him in for one final kiss before standing up and brushing her pink dress off.  
  
Matt sat on the ground, in total daze. That is until a wry smile crept across his face.  
  
"Well?" Mimi grinned, a blush setting into her cheeks.  
  
Matt cleared his throat before answering, "Well what?"  
  
"Aren't you going to help me carry this huge fish back to camp?" she questioned placing her hands on her hips.   
  
"On one condition."  
  
"What's that?" Mimi asked skeptically.  
  
"You have to kiss me again," Matt enlightened picking himself up off the ground.  
  
Mimi tilted her to look at him with one eyebrow raised. "You have to carry it alone then."  
  
"You're on, deal?" Matt agreed.  
  
"Hmmm… let's see, carry a big smelly fish all by myself or kiss Matt Ishida," Mimi said to herself, but loud enough so that Matt could, "deal!"  
  
Shamelessly Mimi walked up to Matt and placed a slow sensuous kiss on his lips.  
  
"I'll give you a little time to get back to camp," Mimi smiled, taking off, "the fish is pretty big."  
  
By the time Matt got back to camp the others were getting extremely impatient and he reeked of fish but that was fine with him. The kiss that Mimi gave him was worth that and more.  
  
"What's with Ishida?" Tai whispered to Sora.  
  
Sora smiled knowingly but didn't answer. The instant Mimi had returned to camp she pulled Sora to the side to tell her what had happened at the pond.  
  
"You're holding out on me, aren't you Sora?" Tai pouted.  
  
"It's a girl thing," Sora whispered back.  
  
Tai crossed his arms in defeat knowing that Sora wasn't going to confess.   
  
"TK! Get back from the fire or you're going to get burned," Joe screamed when he saw TK three feet from the fire.  
  
"Relax Joe," Matt snapped out of his trance when he heard TK's name, "TK's not even that close."  
  
"Whoa! That's the biggest fish I've ever seen!" Tai blurted out excitedly jumping up from his spot by the fire.  
  
"And I caught it!" Mimi beamed excitedly.  
  
"No way!" Tai gasped.  
  
"Yes way!" Mimi cried, "with Matt's help, but mostly me!"  
  
"Matt?" Tai turned to him questionably.  
  
"It's true, Mimi did most of the work," Matt smiled at her before replacing the smile with his usual smirk.  
  
"Well, let's fry it up! I'm starving!" Tai ordered.  
  
"When are you not?" Sora joked.  
  
Everything had returned to normal, or as close to normal as they could get it. It was as if the fight the day before had never happened.  
  
Everyone burst out into laughter leaving Tai to pout by himself.  
  
"Lighten up Tai," Sora gasped, "I was just joking."  
  
"I know," Tai sighed, then a huge smile spread across his face. "I get to cook!"  
  
"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" everyone one of the digidestined screamed.  
  
Izzy and Joe moved in to grab Tai before he could get the fish and Matt had already began to clean it as quickly as he could so he could cook it before Tai got free.  
  
"Come on guys!" Tai pleaded, "My last meal wasn't that bad!"  
  
"Tai, we were practically paralyzed for a week!" Izzy argued trying to hold Tai down while Matt put the fish on the fire.  
  
"I said I was sorry!" Tai struggled.  
  
"We'll let you go if you promise not to go anywhere near that fish until it's finished," Joe said loosening his grip on Tai.  
  
"Fine! I won't touch the fish!" Tai promised, sitting up. "I'm going for a walk, anyone want to come?"  
  
"No thank you," Izzy assured returning to his computer, "I have some programs to write."  
  
"Sora?" Tai questioned.  
  
"Sora can't go!" Mimi blurted out. "I have to talk to her some more."  
  
"Matt?"  
  
"I'm the master chef," Matt reminded Tai.  
  
"Joe?"  
  
"I'm sorry Tai, I'm allergic to walking for short periods of time," Joe whined.  
  
"I though you were allergic to walking for long periods of time?" Tai scrunched his forehead with frustration.  
  
"I am."  
  
"TK?" Tai asked hopefully.  
  
"Matt? Pllllleeeeeaaaaasssseeeee," TK begged, with big puppy dog eyes.  
  
"No TK," Matt decided looking evilly at Tai.  
  
Tai shrugged then headed away from the camp with Agumon trailing behind.  
  
"Tai! Wait up!" Agumon shouted after his companion.  
  
"You really need to grow a little, you know that buddy," Tai chuckled looking up at the passing clouds.  
  
"Tai! Watch ou-" Agumon shouted but it was too late.  
  
"Ow!" Tai swore tripping over the metallic base of a holographic projector. "What's that doing there?"  
  
"How should I know?" Agumon walked over to Tai.  
  
"Greetings Digidestined," an elderly old man appeared at the base of Tai's feet.  
  
"Who are you?" Tai, rubbing his head and Agumon, staring wide eyed asked.  
  
"I am Gennai," Gennai said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I have a proposition for you Courage, if you're willing to listen," Gennai offered with bother hands behind his back.  
  
"A what? You got to speak normally dude, I'm not Izzy," Tai reminded.  
  
Both Gennai and Agumon sighed noticeably, "I have a offer for you," he rephrased.  
  
"Oh! Shoot!" Tai sat cross-legged in front of Gennai, naïve to the fact that Gennai was a hologram that seemed to appear out of nowhere.  
  
Rolling his eyes under his almost closed eyelids Gennai continued on, "I heard you the other day when you said you wanted to go home. I've heard you all talk about your homes and your families and I must admit I feel extremely guilty for bringing you here. So I've decided to give you the choice."  
  
Tai stared wide-eyed at Gennai, "You mean you're the reason why we're here?"  
  
"Yes I am," Gennai nodded.  
  
"An we get a choice to be here or not?"  
  
"No, you get the choice."   
  
"Why me? Why do I have to choose for the rest of the team?" Tai started to panic.  
  
"You are the leader aren't you?" Gennai questioned motionlessly.  
  
"Y-yes but-" Tai was cut off before he could protest any longer.  
  
"Then you will make the decision."  
  
"What decision?" Tai asked taking a deep breath.  
  
"I'm giving you the choice to stay here and fight for the digitalworld or return to your past lives at the moment before you were destined to arrive here," His words were as solemn as his face.  
  
"Y-you mean we can go home?"   
  
"Precisely."  
  
Tai wasn't sure but he had guessed that Gennai had just said yes. "Can I ask the others?"  
  
"No, this is your choice and your choice alone. You will not get another chance."  
  
"Argh! This is so unfair!" Tai huffed thinking more then he had ever thought in his life. "What would you do?"  
  
"That is not my decision to make Courage," Gennai was obviously no help at all.  
  
"Agumon?"  
  
"I'm sorry Tai, but Gennai's right, we can't make that decision," Agumon replied sadly.  
  
"Okay, Everyone does miss their family and Sora really wants to go home. TK probably misses his mom and our parents are probably worried sick about us right now. But what about our digimon? What will happen to them if we go home?"  
  
"It is not my place to tell the future but choose wisely and consider all your options."  
  
"All my options… all my options… all right. Pros and cons right? My mom use to do it all the time. Umm… if we go home everyone gets to see their friends and families. That's a pro. We get to live normal lives, that's also a pro and we don't get eaten, or squished, or set on fire, that's defiantly a pro. The only cons I can see, is never seeing our digimon again and eating my mom's cooking."  
  
"What is your decision Courage? My generosity is lessening with the growing of my appetite."  
  
Tai's hands were beginning to shake by now and his eyes darted around his surroundings as if for answers. "Umm… oh shit… How do I know if my decision will be right?"  
  
"You won't know until it's too late. You will return the precise moment before you received your digivices there for will have no memory of this timeline. You will go on living your lives as you normally would have," Gennai explained impatiently.  
  
Tai ran his hands through his thick brown hair taking a deep breath, "If I make the wrong choice will we ever get a second chance?"  
  
"That is not for me to decide."  
  
"ARGH! You are no help, you know that?" Tai burst out.  
  
"It is not m-"  
  
"Place to be helpful, right?" Tai ridiculed, "Yeah, I know! Listen Agumon, I'm sorry man."   
  
"Y-you're leaving, aren't you?" Agumon gasped tears in his eyes.  
  
"Agumon I'm sorry," Tai kneeled down beside his digimon so that he could look him in the eye. "You're my best friend Agumon, and the best digimon anyone could ever have, but it's not just me who wants to go home. Everybody does, and our families need us. You understand, don't you buddy?"  
  
Agumon's eyes shifted from Tai to the ground then back to Tai, "I understand Tai."   
  
"All right, I'm going to do this! Everyone wants a normal life, well they're going to get one! Its not like the digiworld has changed their lives in any drastic way, so let's do it!" Tai insisted hugging Agumon one last time.  
  
"Is that your final decision?" Gennai narrowed his eyes until they were completely closed.  
  
Tai nodded.  
  
"Is that your final answer?"  
  
"Open your eyes dude! I said yes!" Tai almost screamed.  
  
"So be it," Gennai whispered divinely before everything went black.  
  
***  
  
"How was summer camp Tai?" Tai's little sister Kari asked as he stepped through the door with his bags in hand.  
  
Tai had just gotten home from his summer camp trip. A summer camp trip that Kari had missed out on because of a cold. She knew she had to stay though, even if she wasn't sick she knew she couldn't go.  
  
"It was great Kari! Oh man, you would have had so much fun! Too bad you were sick," Tai sighed dropping his bags at the door and heading for the fridge.  
  
"Everything happens for a reason Tai," Kari said, a wisdom shining through her eyes that was well beyond her years. "So tell me about it."  
  
"Well it was really cool," Tai began frowning at a tofu salad his mother had made. "Do you remember Sora?"  
  
"Yes, you go to school with her, don't you?" Kari asked sitting at the table to watch her brother search through the kitchen for some decent food.  
  
"Yup, well she was there and we had this great game of soccer! It was amazing! I've never seen a girl play like that before! There was also this guy named Matt, he was okay, had a major attitude problem though. His little brother TK was pretty cool, and there was this guy named Izzy who never got off his computer! And there was this guy named Joe who was allergic to everything, it was getting kinda annoying though. Oh and this girl named Mimi who would not stop talking about clothes and hair, well that is when she wasn't staring at Matt. I think he had the hots for her too."  
  
"Wow, I'm starting to think I really missed out now," Kari smiled watching Tai pull out the cereal and start to eat it straight out of the box.  
  
"You did, and the weirdest thing happened."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It snowed! Can you believe it? It's the middle of summer and it snowed!" Tai exclaimed gulping the milk down straight from the carton next.   
  
"It snowed?" Kari asked quietly, her eyes clouding over with uncertainty.  
  
"Yeah, did anything weird happen here?" Tai asked giving a puzzled look to his little sister.  
  
"Well…"  
  
"Well what Kari?" Tai worried sitting down across from her.  
  
"I… I've been seeing monsters… but I don't see them anymore Tai." Kari muttered, "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."  
  
"You're eight years old Kari!" Tai put on a goofy smile, "You're not suppose to see monsters any more."  
  
"I know," Kari smiled back at her brother reassuringly, but something just did feel right to her.  
  
"All right Kari, I'm going to make you some smiley face pancakes, with chocolate chips!" Tai decided pushing himself off the table.  
  
"No!" Kari groaned, "You cook worse then mom!"  
  
Tai turned to her sister a look of pure agony and hurt on his face.  
  
Kari rolled her eyes, "All right, but I'm not promising I'll eat all of it."  
  
"You just have to take a bite. Trust me, these ones are going to be better the ever! Matt showed me how to make them. He think he's da man, which he's not, but he's a really great cook." Tai winked pulling out all of the ingredients.  
  
Kari sat by, ideally watching her brother burn the pancakes, while thinking about what Tai said and about the monsters she had been seeing. She use to see them all the time, in the city, on TV, on the internet, but just a few days ago they had all disappeared. That fact all in itself disturbed her immensely, something was extremely wrong, she just couldn't figure it out.  
  
As the years went by, she felt more and more out of place. Nothing seemed right, she didn't seem right, her brother didn't seem right, her brother's girlfriend Sora didn't seem right, even her best friend TK didn't see right. She knew it, but nobody would listen, nobody cared, to them, everything was bliss.  
  
***   
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!" a shrill female voice rang throughout the small apartment.  
  
"Kari!" Tai called, bursting into her room with Sora right behind him.  
  
"I told you! I told you the monsters were real!" the fourteen year old girl screamed, backing into her brother as she kept her frightened brown eyes fixed on the monster outside her window.  
  
End of Prologue   



	2. ID: An Unexpected Revelation

Authors note: Second part! This whole part is in Tai's perspective. The angst starts here, from this point on this whole series is going to be really dark and hopefully depressing. So if you can't take that kind of thing or don't like it don't read. Later days.

Dedication: I'm dedicating this part to Adam, the first reviewer of the series. After considering your comment I decided you were right and I'll make a note of it for next time a write a story when they're that young.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon that'll happen after world domination.

****

Immortal Destinies: An Unexpected Revelation

"Kari!" I called, bursting into her room with my girlfriend Sora right behind him.

"I told you! I told you the monsters were real!" the fourteen year old girl screamed, backing into me as she kept her frightened brown eyes fixed on the monster outside her window.

"Oh my god! Tai, what is that?" Sora cried clutching onto my arm when she caught site of the monster.

That's the only thing I could describe it as. A big, hideous, scary, monster! But oddly enough it seemed familiar in a way. 

Did I mention how huge it was? It was at least half as tall as the apartment building my family and me lived, at least a couple of stories high. It looked like a dinosaur, one of those ones with big horns.

"Tai, remember when we went to the museum?" Kari cried, her body ridged and frozen with the same fear the mine was.

"Yeah," I nodded, still unable to move just like my sister and my girlfriend.

"Doesn't that remind you of a Triceratops?" Kari questioned now more curious then scarred, or at least it seemed that way.

I looked closer at the details of the monster. It had two long red and greed horns protruding from his forehead and a third small green one jutting from his nose. A massive layer of skin and bone flared out of the back of its skull, kind of like a hood. Its dark green body was armored with a layer of lighter green bone and deadly claws ended its hands and feet.

It couldn't be a dinosaur though, right? I mean, dinosaurs died a long time ago, but what I was seeing, it disproved everything I was taught to believe. Everything that I thought was to be true was shattering before my eyes, and yet I've always known there was more to believe in. Something bigger then everyday life.

"I think it spotted us!" Sora gasped, clutching onto me even tighter then before.

She was right though. The monster, or dinosaur, or whatever, ceased it's destruction on the apartment building in front of ours, turning it head, it's hideous eyes catching mine. It was an eerie sort of glare, one that sent shivers down my spine. We stayed that way for a few seconds, our eyes locked in that cold stare, his deep blue eyes blazing with hate, my chocolate brown ones burning with determination. I'm not going to let him win, I won't let him destroy everything I love.

He raised his head towards the sky and with a massive bellow that shocked the ground itself he brought he clawed hand up and swiped it across our building.

Kari and Sora screamed, as they were shook to the floor, just as I was. The windows shattered around us, showering us with shards of glass that cut through our skin. Our hands shoot over our ears trying to block the sounds of screaming metal and bursting water lines.

"We have to get out of here!" I screamed over all of the noise.

It didn't matter though, Sora still had her hands clutched tightly over her ears, and Kari lay unconscious between us.

I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw them like that. Kari was so still and so pale, making the trickles of blood where the glass had cut her stand out even more. I moved as quickly as I could, ignoring the searing pain that flooded over my body. I didn't want to admit, but I was scared, more scared then I have ever been in my entire life. My sister almost died once, I won't let her die again.

I checked Kari's pulse, and with a sigh of relief I smiled. It was still beating steady and strong. She must have only fainted from the panic or something. I turned, crawling over to Sora to see if she was all right.

"Sora!" I cried, shaking her until I had her attention.

She looked up with tears in her eyes and slivers of cuts dripping blood over her beautiful features. It broke my heart to see her like that. It's funny how disasters can make you realize the important things in life, the things that you know you can't live without.

That's what I felt for Sora, I couldn't live without her. She was everything to me, my heart and my soul. I loved her. This would be the first time I realized that, or at least admitted it to myself and if we didn't have a big chance of dying I would have kissed her.

"Sora," I said a little gentler then before, but still loud enough for her to hear me.

She inhaled deeply, picking herself up off the ground, wincing with the same pain that coursed through my own body. "I'm all right, Tai."

I smiled reassuringly pulling myself onto my feet.

Kari's room was completely devastated. Anything that was breakable was broken, windows, the computer, all of Kari's little statues that she collected. The remnants of her life lay shattered across the quaking floor. 

The monster let out another scream of triumph, burying his fists into the building once again, spilling out its life blood. When the walls started to crack and split and the floor began to crumble away into the apartment below ours, I realized the fear that I felt before seemed like nothing now. Repressing the urge to scream and run I moved my trembling body over to my sister again. Sora followed me, keeping an eye out for anything that might kill us.

I picked Kari up, keeping her small frame close to my body. She was so innocent, she doesn't deserve this cruel fate. She doesn't deserve to have her life destroyed like this, nobody does.

"Is she okay, Tai?" Sora cried, picking up some of the debris so that we could get through the door. 

"I think so, but we have to get out of here. The buildings crumbing to the ground," I explained following Sora out of Kari's room.

The living room was even worse then Kari's. There was so many things piled on the floor that I couldn't even believe we owned so many things. But it wasn't our things that made up the majority of the debris, it was the walls and the ceiling. 

"Oh god!" Sora gasped, her hand instantly flying to her mouth. 

I looked at the place that her wide eyes had fixed on and almost threw up myself. Among the sparking wires, shattered concrete, and leaking pipes that our roof now consisted of the body of a young woman hung over the edge threatening to fall to the floor of our kitchen at any moment. A few of the metal rods that were used to strengthen the concrete that the building was made of were protruding from the woman body, sending a thick flow of blood spattering to the floor. Her flesh hung loosely off her bones and in some places there was no flesh at all, just the gleam of freshly revealed bone. Her sea green eyes were still wide with fear that she felt when she was alive and her soft blond hair was stained with her own crimson blood.

Her body was too mutilated for me to see who it really was, but I think it was Sarah, the daughter of the woman who lived just above us. I hardly knew Sarah but that didn't stop the tears from falling. She was such a promising young woman with such a bright future ahead of her, but now it lay in pieces just like the apartment she use to live in. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I feel as if I could have stopped this all. I feel responsible in some way, or least that I could have done something to save Sarah, to save any others.

I turned my eyes away from Sarah and back to Sora. I could see her body trembling, her knees about to give in.

"Come on Sora," I said authoritatively, "you have to be strong! We have to keep going!" 

She turned to me with a start, I must have scared her.

She nodded, wiping away her tears she pushed aside more of the clutter that littered the floor. My heart was racing as more and more of the apartment deteriorated around us. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it.

"I can't move all this concrete Tai!" Sora panicked trying to move the massive blocks of stone out of the doorway.

I had to put Kari down and help Sora. It was the only way that we could get out. I hated to do it, to leave her all alone and so vulnerable, but it was the only way.

Laying my little sister down, as gently as I could in a spot that seemed the most reliable I went to help Sora.

"Push on three," I ordered taking control of the situation, a position that seemed only natural.

She took a deep breath and braced herself for the push. It was going to take a lot of force to move the shattered off blocks of concrete.

"One, two," I began readying myself, "three!"

We both pushed with everything we had and the first block inched out of the way gaining more momentum with every second until it was completely out of the way. I gasped when our heavy wooden door started to collapse on us, I guess the concrete was the only thing holding it up and when we moved it there was nothing left to support it.

"Sora!" I screamed as I threw myself on top of her, I had to protect her at all costs, I couldn't let her get hurt because of me.

We both cried out, me from pain, her from shock, when the door crashed down on top of us. I could feel the heavy material smack against my back, bruising me on contact with the force. There must have been more then just the door, it was so heavy, and man did it hurt a lot! I don't remember anything hurting this much since I broke my leg playing soccer.

"Tai!" Sora gasped when my body came down on top of hers, shielding her from the debris. "Tai! Are you all right!?"

"S-Sora," I replied weakly as my strength began to leave me, forcing me to let the rest of my weight fall on her.

"Tai!" She cried, and I could feel her begin to sob against me. "Tai, please, you have to be all right."

I could feel her body tense as she tried to free herself. Every move was agony for us both, and I could no longer hold back the tears of utter pain my body wanted to cry. I inhaled deeply trying to gather all of the strength I could, I had to make sure Sora was all right, she couldn't die like this. Nobody should die like this!

With everything I had I pushed up, it wasn't much, hardly a few centimeters, but it was enough for Sora to free herself. She slid out quickly and without her soft body cushioning me I was forced between the ruble and the slowly depleting floor.

"I'm going to get you out of this, Tai," Sora cried stroking my face gently with her swollen fingers, "I promise."

"Just... go Sora," I coughed out, "just take Kari… and leave."

"I can't Tai! I can't leave you like that," she sobbed, "I love you."

I was silent for a moment, trying to understand what she just said. It was as life altering as the destruction of my home, the woman I've loved for so long just said she loved me! Me! This… this is mind blowing! 

"Tai?" Sora gasped, "Tai!"

"Yeah…" I replied, reminding myself to breathe… while at least as much as I could considering where I was. "I-I love you too, Sora, but I… I can't let you die like this."

"I won't Tai," she promised, "and neither will you."

She fled from my sight and panic griped at my heart and soul, making it even more difficult for me to breathe. But then easier, ever so slightly the weight was being removed from me, making it easier for me to breathe, but also releasing a new wave of pain coursing through my body. I cried out, my body tensing readying itself for whatever else my come.

"You have to hold on Tai!" Sora called out to me but darkness was beginning to sink its chilling claws into me. 

"Come on Tai, hold on," Sora ordered returning to my dimming sight. She grabbed my hand giving it a gentle squeeze before leaving once again.

"There's so many people that need you Tai, you can't give up," Sora urged shoving more of the ruble off of me. "Kari still needs you Tai, she needs a big brother to guide and protect her. I need you Tai, I can't loose you."

I expected to see Sora again but some one else crawled before my vision, giving my blurry eyes something to focus on. The figure was so small and fragile, moving along the ground, her whole body trembling with pain and fear.

She clutched at my hand like Sora once did, "I'm so scared Tai," she cried, her shaking hands sending vibrations through mine.

"It… it'll be okay Kari… I promise," I gasped when Sora finally pushed the door off of me.

"How badly are you hurt Tai? Can you tell?" Sora cringed, rubbing her raw knuckles.

I tried to move, it ached, extremely, but I could still do it. I tried twisting onto my side and my chest was engulfed with a burning pain the shot to the rest of my body.

"I-I think I cracked… some ribs," I huffed still trying to push myself up.

"What about you Kari? How are you feeling?" Sora questioned, limping over to her.

"I hurt my leg, Sora," Kari cried clutching at her leg.

I looked up to see Kari's hands drenched with her own blood from the profusely bleeding gouge on her leg.

"Let me see," Sora smiled gently, hiding her fear and doubt from Kari.

Sora was so strong, strong for Kari, strong for me, too strong. I admired her so much, and if we ever get out of this alive I'll make sure she knows it. She shouldn't have to be the one to carry the roll of leadership; I should have that responsibility. 

Sora looked at Kari's leg, then to me. A look of doubt flashed across her eyes, but she said nothing and turned back to Kari.

Pulling at the tattered pieces of her clothing, Sora began to tear strips off, long enough to tie around Kari's leg. 

"This is going to hurt, all right Kari?" Sora whispered straightening out Kari's leg.

Kari nodded closing her eyes tight so she didn't have to see what was happening. Sora, as cautiously as she could, began to tie the strips of material around Kari's leg to hold in the blood she needed to survive. Kari bit her lip, holding back the scream I could see begging to be released, but she wouldn't call out, she was too considerate of us. She didn't want us so worry about her.

Pushing past the pain, I crawled over to her and wrapped my fingers around hers. She opened her eyes, shocked at my touch, but smiled all the same as Sora finished what she was doing.

"We have to get out of here Tai," Sora whispered rising to her feet.

I nodded and took her hand when she offered it to me. She winced when she pulled me up but still held on. Wrapping her arm around my waist, she lowered her center of gravity to support my weight. I tried to hold myself up but I was too weak to stay on my own to feet.

"Come on Kari," Sora gasped bending down even further to snake her arm around Kari's waist and pull her up with us. 

She was now not only supporting herself, but Kari and me as well. I wanted to cry with shame and guilt. I still felt as if I was responsible for all this, as if I could have stopped this.

"Here we go," Sora exhaled, not for us but more for herself.

It was so hard to move my body forward; it must have been excruciating for Sora. We edged our way out the front door and into the disintegrating hallway. There were people just like us trying to escape the hell our peaceful lives have become. But there were also people just like Sarah, with shattered lives, never to be reclaimed. There bodies now the only evidence that they were here.

"Oh, Tai," Kari weeped, "all these poor people."

"Don't look Kari," I ordered trying to protect her retreating innocents.

She obeyed, lowering her head so she couldn't see the gruesome scene. I only wish it were that easy for Sora and me. But it wasn't, we had to endure it, survive it. We continued on, Sora still supporting most of our weight. 

"Oh no," Sora gasped, her breath shallow and quick.

I took a moment to focus ahead of us, until I saw what she saw. Where the stairwell had been there was nothing now, just a space of empty chaos.

"How are we ever going to get through this?" Sora cried, finally giving up hope, after being pushed to her breaking point.

Her strength abandoned her and we fell to the ground in a heap of tears and shattered hopes.

"We can't give up Sora," I began, crying myself, "There's so many people who still need us."

She looked up at me and smiled that angelic smile she had, the one that made my heart flutter, and my mind dizzy. I smiled back, lifting my hand up to brush away her tears.

"Tai!" Kari shouted. "It's another one of those monsters!"

My head snapped up, sending searing pains down my spine, blurring my eyes with tears, but I forced my eyes to focus. Kari was right another one of those monsters had climbed up where the stairs had been.

"Stay away from us!" I demanded as it stepped closer, "I won't let you hurt us!"

A hurt look crossed its face but it smiled a gentle smile. "It's all right, I'm here to help you."

"Why should we trust you?' Sora spat, "You could be here trying to kill us like the other monster."

"You mean Triceramon?" it chided almost happily, "I'm not like that at all! He's with Devimon, an evil digimon trying to conquer your world."

"A d-digimon?' Kari stuttered, recollection crossing her features.

"Yes I'm a digimon too," it explained coming right up to us, "My name's Palmon. I'm part of the digimon resistance."

"What do you mean resistance?" I asked, a little confused.

I didn't want to believe her, but it felt right to do so. The knowledge that other beings existed, other worlds, felt right, just not the way I found out. Shouldn't there be more? Shouldn't there be some way that I could help them? To save them?

"Yes, all of the digimon that aren't being controlled by black gears have joined the resistance against Devimon in hopes of saving your world."

"So you really do want to help us?' Sora questioned skeptically.

"Yes," the plant like creature nodded.

"Can you get us out of here?" I asked quickly looking over at my little sister, who was loosing consciousness again.

"Yup," and it's smile grew larger, "Poison Ivy!"

I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the end. With a call like poison ivy who could have blamed me? But instead of feeling the sanctuary of death I felt something docile wrap around my arms and waist. When I opened my eyes the fingers of monster that had called herself Palmon had elongated and wrapped around us all.

"I told you I was here to help," she giggled, lifting us off the ground. 

I cringed at the movement but pushed the pain away.

She lifted us over the area where the stairs had been and I could see now that the stairs were not only gone on our floor, but all the way down to the lobby, where all the was left was a pile of ruble spread across the floor.

"Be careful now," Palmon ordered, lowering us to the lobby floor carefully. "And watch out for digimon with black gears!"

"What are black gears?" I called, but it was too late, we were already on the lobby floor amongst the debris and she was already lowering down more people.

"Look at all the people, Tai!" Kari gasped.

She shut her eyes and nuzzled her head into my shoulder so she didn't have to look at the bodies that littered the floor. I had to turn away myself, but it was too late, the scene was already burned into my mind, and I would see those bodies, those soulless eyes, every time I closed my eyes until the day death claimed me.

"We have to leave," I muttered, looking over at Sora who was the only one of us whose eyes stayed on the corpses that lay motionless on the floor.

Kari shook her head almost violently, "No, we have to help these people, Tai."

"There's no one to save Kari," I sighed, looking again to the people I've lived with most of my life. No one moved.

"We have to try, please Tai," she cried, "please."

"All right," I agreed, "we'll do what we can."

Kari, now able to hold her own weight, stood and began shifting through the ruble. 

I smiled, she was wise beyond her years. I truly believed that. She was as strong as Sora, if not stronger in many ways. I watched her for a moment, every movement she made looked at if it pained her, it probably did. I could see her wincing, cringing, and I wanted to stop her, to protect her, but I knew I couldn't, she would help these people if it meant sacrificing herself. She was just that kind of person, and I loved her for it.

Clutching at my ribs I stood up and limped over to Sora. She sat there still, starring, watching. Tears crept down her blood-spattered cheeks but she didn't blink, her lips didn't shake, she just sat there motionless.

"Sora?" I whispered, setting my aching fingers on her shoulders.

She jumped, snapping back from me. When ours eyes met she had the most heart breaking look in her eyes, a look of utter shame.

"I'm so sorry Tai," She cried, pushing herself onto her feet.

"It's all right Sora," I promised, kissing her forehead, "let's help Kari."

And that's what we did. For as long as our strength allowed, we helped as many people as we could, but there weren't as many as we prayed there would be. There were little survivors in the lobby but we were able to help the people that Palmon lowered down. Others soon joined us, those who could help in any way possible.

"Tai?" Kari mumbled, looking at me in total shock. "Where's mommy and daddy?"

Oh God! I was so involved in keeping Sora, Kari, and me alive that I hadn't even think about my parents. What kind of a person was I? What kind of a son was I? How could I have forgotten my own parents?

"They went to the store, remember? Right?" I panicked.

They had to be! But the feeling I got told me I was wrong, dead wrong. It had been too long, they would have been here by now, and they would be somewhere in this building.

"We have to find them Tai!" Kari almost screamed, "We have to find them!"

"Calm down Kari," I ordered taking her in my arms. "We'll find them."

"But what if we don't!" I could feel her shake beneath me, and it reminded me of when we were children, when she was scared.

"We have to," I said more forcefully. "Take her Sora, I have to find my parents."

Stopping her search for survivors, Sora took Kari from me, keeping her within a loving embrace. My mind was racing with all the possibilities of what could have happened to the people who had given me life, and shown me the world. They weren't on the stairs, we checked there. We had checked so many places, where could they be? All right, they went to the store, so they would have had groceries. Which means they would have taken the elevator.

The elevator! I never checked the elevator! I rushed over to the elevator, hopefully it would still be intact. The once gleaming metal doors were twisted open in a way that reminded me of those movies with the entrances to hell, wide and gaping. I looked inside and like I predicted the elevator box lay crumpled in the basement, its wires twisting around it.

I pushed myself through the twisted doors, the jagged metal scraping off the skin on my arms and legs. I had to find out if my parents were alive, I just had to. I then pushed my fingers through the grating of the top of the elevator and pried it off it.

"NO!" I screamed, enraged, saddened beyond words.

My heart stopped and my chest contracted preventing me from breathing. I could almost see the last shards of my life, the very foundation of my existence shatter before me. 

My parents, the people who I've loved for all my life, the people I depended on lay before me, lay motionless, torn, almost beyond recollection.

Tears fell before I took in my next pained breath. God, it hurt so much to live now! Kari and I were orphans now, alone in the world that had once been so kind to us. The tattered corpses before me proved it.

My mother looked as if she was almost decapitated, her head held on by nothing more then flimsy strips of muscle. Her blood seeped through the rubble staining the wreckage scarlet red, almost black.

Sobbing loudly I dropped heavily into what was left of the elevator box and collapsed onto my mothers blood soaked body. I clutched onto her torn clothes, calling out her name with my ragged voice, she didn't answer back like she always did. She'd always answer me, her voice would be light and caring a voice like Kari's, but only different. A voice of experience, of love and warmth that'd sing me to sleep when I was a child, or read me stories, or lecture me.

I cried harder my whole body racking with the pained sobs, but the pain of my body lessened as the pain in my heart grew. I wanted nothing more then to see my parents alive and well again, but I knew that could never be, and somehow I knew what was happening was wrong.

I lifted my head from my mother's shoulder and replaced it with my hands. She couldn't be dead! She couldn't leave Kari and me! 

"Wake up mom!" I shook her gently, "please wake up mom! I love you, you can't die!"

I shook her harder begging her to open her eyes, begging her to smile and say it was all right. She did nothing of the sort though and as the realization of the situation hit, a part of me died with my parents, a part I would never be able to get back.

"T-Tai?" nothing more then a whisper bounced faintly off the walls.

I snapped my head from my mother to my father's pale face. I moved myself to his side and took his hand in my own.

"Daddy?" I cried praying that what I heard was real and not my mind playing cruel jokes on me.

Moments pasted and as I gave up hope a faint gurgle erupted from my father's throat. I looked up at him to see his own crimson blood seep from his torn lips.

"Tai…" he whispered again more blood spewing from his lips.

"I'm here, dad," I assured squeezing his hand.

"T-tell your…. sis … sister I … love her, I… I love you… both," his final words cut through me like a searing knife and I wanted nothing more then die right there with my parents.

"Please," I pleaded dropping my head onto his still chest. I could hear his heartbeat fade out of existence leaving me alone in the twisted elevator that ended their live.

I don't know how long I was in that elevator, crying over my parents. Some people found me, rescuers I think, but I'm not quite sure, they pulled me away from my parents chilling bodies screaming all the way.

They escorted me from the ruined building out to where other survivors had gathered, that's when I remembered Kari. How was I going to tell her? Somehow I knew that she already knew, or at least suspected it.

I saw her sitting in an ambulance with Sora right beside her, the doors of the vehicle wide open. Sora had her arm about Kari's shoulders, and Kari's eyes were set on the ground beneath her. From where I stood I could see her tear drops, splattering onto the blood spattered concrete.

"Sir we need to get you to a hospital," I turned my head to the man who came up beside me. He wore a medical uniform of some kind, it, like everything else had stains of blood all over it.

"No, I have to talk to my sister," I opposed limping towards the ambulance my sister and girlfriend sat in.

The man followed choosing not to argue with me. When the two girls heard my footsteps they looked up with questioning faces.

The second Kari's cinnamon brown eyes met my darker ones she knew. The pain in my eyes proved it along with the immense amount of blood on my clothing. She turned away burying her face in her hands to shed more tears.

I kept limping forward and wrapped my arms around her the second I could reach her. I thought I had no more tears to shed but I did, they came, and they fell, much like Kari's.

"Why Tai?" Kari cried onto my bloody shoulder. "Why did they have to die?"

"I don't know," I whispered looking at Sora.

She had a look of profound sympathy in her eyes, it wasn't pity, she knew I wouldn't be able to handle pity, I don't want people to pity me.

"Let's get you to a hospital now," the medic ordered resting his hand on my shoulder.

I inhaled trying to clear my mind of grief, but it was no use, the grief I felt would weigh down on me for the rest of my life.

I nodded, and pulled away from Kari, Sora took over where I could not any longer and pulled Kari into her arms.

"They're coming with me."

The tall dark haired medic nodded and helped me into the ambulance. I sat down, giving my muscles the much-needed relief they deserved. Kari and Sora sat on either side of me as a second medic went around to the front of the ambulance and entered the driver's side. I cringed slightly as the door was shut with a loud bang but soon relaxed as the engine was revved to life. I was so incredibly exhausted that I could hardly keep my eyes open.

"GRRAAGHHRAAAARRRRR!" an earsplitting roar blared outside the ambulance shattering the windows in hales of gleaming glass. 

I immediately used my body as a shield to protect both Kari and Sora allowing more of the searing pain I had experienced before course through my weak and jaded body. But no matter what the cost to myself I would make sure that Kari and Sora would live on for as long as fate would allow.

When the shards of the shattered window lay on the floor and not soaring through the air I lifted my head and peered through the window. 

There it was! That familiar green and red monster that started this all! The one who destroyed my home, killed my friends, and ripped my parents from me! I hated that monster, that digimon. I hated him more then anything I've ever hated. Usually I feared that hatred, because of what it would do to me, of what it could make me become, but now and I embraced it. This hatred, the loathing that flowed through my veins empowered me, it made the pains and the aches of my body and mind abandon me, leaving me with nothing but that burning hatred.

"What's going on?" the medic that ordered me to the hospital questioned coming to the window beside me.

"It's back," I whispered, to engulfed in my hatred to care if he heard me or not, "he's back to finish what he started."

I locked eyes with the monster once again, and we understood each other perfectly. One of us was going to die here and now, and neither of us was going to surrender that victory.

"He's mine!" I spat opening the doors of the ambulance and jumping out. The pain the plagued me before was now fueling my rage, making me even stronger.

"You can't Tai!" Sora screamed at my running form.

I'm sorry Sora, you'll never know how sorry I am until this is over, but I can't let it end like this, I won't let it end like this! I'm going to stop that thing if it's the last thing I do. The only flaw in my plan was that there was no plan. I was technically going in blind with no obvious way of defeating the digimon.

The survivors of the last attack scattered in panic, trying to find any place they could to hide from the massive beast. All but one. 

A lone woman stood before the monster a pistol held tightly in her grasp pointed at the dinosaur like digimon.

"You killed my family!" she screamed to it, tears of blood streaming down her face, "They're dead because of you!"

She was so injured she could hardly keep herself on her own feet. I watched with horror and respect all at once. She had nothing left to live for, she probably wanted to die with her family but was saved that luxury, but now, now she was going to die no matter what. She would make sure of that.

The dinosaur, or monster, or digimon, or whatever the hell you want to call it looked down mockingly at her. No fear in it's eyes, just the emptiness of stupidity. I looked at the woman again, she was no older then I was, and like the digimon, her eyes held no fear.

"I HATE YOU!" her final words rang out through the city blocks as she pulled the trigger of her gun numerous amounts of times.

I watched as the bullets ricocheted of Triceramon's bone armor and into the air around us. The woman gasped as her onslaught seemed to have to effect on the monster.

A deep rumble erupted from its throat as if it meant to mock her with its vicious laughter.

It stopped for a moment still starring at the unwavering girl in the eyes and with in one fluid motion it brought its massive head down, folding its drooling mouth over the fragile woman's frame. No scream was heard as it devoured her hole, the gun she once held and her blood spattered on the ground, the only reminisce of the woman that once stood before us.

"You son of a bitch!" I cried and it turned to me, the murderous glint in its eyes becoming brighter.

I sprinted towards it at top speed. His hand came down on me with lightening speed but I was faster. I dodged its oncoming claws and dove for the gun the woman who I admired once held. It's cold metal felt good against my burning flesh. I rolled out of the dive and under the monster and shoot. I aimed for its underbelly where his bone armor couldn't protect him. The bullets pierced his hide, showering me in the creature's blood but I kept shooting. It bellowed in pain, but I kept shooting. I shoot until there were no more bullets and then some. By the time I let the gun clatter to the ground I was drenched in the digimon's thick blood.

It glared at me before lowering its head to devour me like the woman. This was the end, this was were I was going to die and I prayed that Sora would take care of Kari for me. That they'd both be able to forgive me for leaving them.

"Pepper breath!" I shrill cry echoed through my mind and the monster that was just about to eat me erupted in flames that just as quickly vanished.

"Run" the same monster that had shoot the ball of flames screamed.

I rolled onto my side and pushed myself out of the way. I ran towards the little dinosaur that had saved me. He was so small compared to the other one, with big green eyes and orange skin.

"Come and get me ugly!" it screamed at the Triceramon.

The Triceramon lunged for the little dinosaur, smashing it the pavement. It cried out in pain as its skin was shredded from it body by the force. 

"No!" I shouted, running over to the little guy. "Why are you doing this? You shouldn't be here!"

"Its all right… I… I'm here to help," It smiled past the pain.

"What's your name?" I asked it, helping it to its feet.

"I'm Agumon," it explained turning around a number of times to see the raw scrapes on its back. "I'm sorry I'm not that much help."

"It's all right, thanks for saving me," I sighed glancing at the Triceramon who was in the process of destroying another building. Apparently its attention span wasn't that long. "Let's get out of here, kay?"

"All right!" It agreed cheerily

How could these little creatures with no hope in hell of winning be so happy? I did understand anything that was happening.

We ran for the ambulance where I had left Sora and Kari.

"How could you scare me like that!" Sora screamed running into my arms. "I thought I'd lost you!"

"I'm fine Sora," I assured her wrapping my arms around her crying form, "let's get out of here."

She nodded wiping away her tears. I helped her into the ambulance and was about to help Agumon in when Triceramon spotted us again.

"Pepper breath!" the tiny dinosaur shouted showering the giant monster in flames.

"RROOOAAAARRRRR!" the monster screamed in anger.

It brought its foot up to strike down onto Agumon. I felt this rush of urgency to save Agumon as if I had known him far better then I really did, as if he were my friend.

"No!" I cried pushing Agumon out of the way.

Agumon rolled across the road as Triceramon clawed foot came crashing down on me.

"Tai!" voices cried out in anguish but I couldn't tell who they were, I couldn't feel anything as unsuspecting darkness washed over me. 

And with the darkness images. Images of children laughing, crying, fighting. Images of another place, of monsters like the ones I met today and others like them. I saw Sora and myself as children, but there were others. A group of us fighting a battle we knew we'd win. A boy and his brother, a girl in a pink dress, a boy with glasses, and a boy with a laptop all travelling together though an unknown world. A world that was meant to be but somehow never happened.

And as my soul escaped my body, leaving my loved ones to grieve over me I knew that world never existed because of me.

The end

Well that's Tai's story folks. What do you think? Up next Joe's part of my Immortal Destinies series and the beginning of the digimon resistance in the human world.


End file.
